Gender-based violence manifests in different forms and among them is economic abuse. This happens when a person is restricted from participating in income-generating activities, especially women. People in communities where the Tiyambe Project has reached, have started to demonstrate action against the vice. Gladys Likonga, a mother of six from GVH Naluwade in Chisambo estate, Mulanje, normalized this form of abuse by implication when she had to assume the responsibility of household welfare as her husband was spending his money at the pubs every day.
“I had normalized abuse from my husband whom I have been married to for some time now and I thought that is how marriages work. My husband was a drunkard and disregarded the welfare of the family.” Laments Likonga.
She adds that this left the family in dire poverty as she was relying on peace works which were never enough to meet the basic needs of her family. Struggling to find food and putting on rags was not strange for herself and her children. She then heard that some youth in her village had been selected to participate in some training but was not sure of the specific areas of focus.
In a short time, there was a community mobilization campaign in her village when she heard that the youth who went for training would be having a performance. Fortunately, she attended the event where she got to learn about the different forms of GBV. This is when she realized that her husband was abusing her which was also affecting the education of her children and general family welfare.
Likonga decided to approach her husband and share with him what had transpired at the performance so that he might have a change heart. The man listened to her concerns but she could still feel that something is missing. This prompted her to reach out to some of the drama club members who came to her house and provided guidance to the couple.
“Since that initiative, there was some change in my family to the point that my husband gave me k50,000 as capital for me to start a business to support our family. I decided to venture into a sugarcane business here at my house,” explained Likonga.
There has been a gradual change in her family since she started selling sugarcane. About 2 months of doing this business, she invested the profits in another venture of selling wrappers (zitenje) on credit to women in her village. Likonga expressed immense gratitude to all who intervened in transforming her misfortunes including the Tiyambe team which trained youth in her area. She also pleads with women to approach local structures at their disposal to address any GBV they face.
Meanwhile, one of the drama club members contributing to such transformative stories is a survivor of GBV as well. Esther Dyton (26) is a mother of three and was not allowed to engage in income-generating activities due to marital insecurities. Dyton’s husband was afraid that her wife would become promiscuous when she started doing business as some women do but after she learned about GBV and how to address it, she managed to change his attitude.
“The coming in of ArtGlo enabled me to learn several things which I was also sharing with my family. At the trainings, I learned about various forms of GBV, and among them was economic abuse. After the trainings, I decided to approach my husband and he understood me. I then started doing business, all thanks to ArtGlo.” Narrates Dyton.
Recognizing the profound impact associated with Safari drama club which Dyton is part of, she vows to continue conducting TfD performances beyond the Tiyambe Project. She is confident that together with her team, they are well versed to do any TfD performance on any topic, to facilitate learning, community dialogue, and action toward social change.
The Tiyambe project started in 2021 and is being implemented with support from the Eastern Produce Malawi (EPM). It has so far reached communities surrounding EPM’s 13 Tea and Macadamia Estates in Mulanje and Thyolo.
